PHILADELPHIA - There are people who believe today’s athletes get paid so much money that they don’t care what happens between the lines.

As long as they get their paper, all is well.

Tell that to every player in the Philadelphia Eagles locker room Sunday. Do that, and you could find yourself tied to one of the goalposts at Lincoln Financial Field.

View full sizeAndre L. Smith, The Wilmington News-JournalPhiladelphia's Dominique Rogers-Cromartie turns his back on the Detroit celebration after Jason Hanson, right, kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime.

But caring isn’t enough. Not to the fans in Philly or the players who solemnly walked out of the shower with heads hung low and few words to describe the Eagles dropping a 26-23 overtime decision to visiting Detroit.

“Sick and disappointing,” former Bishop McDevitt standout LeSean McCoy said to a throng of reporters in front of his locker.

The brunt of this setback will fall on the defense. After holding the Lions to 163 net yards in three quarters, the Eagles allowed 243 in the fourth quarter and blew a 10-point lead.

It was especially tough for rookie defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. He threw a punch on an extra point early in the fourth quarter and was ejected from the game.

The lack of discipline showed by Cox left the Eagles short-handed and allowed the Lions’ running-back tandem of Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell to gash the middle of the defense the rest of the way.

“I was on the bottom of the pile and punched my way out,” Cox said. “I have to control myself. I have to control my anger and I have to do better.

“It hurt standing there watching it. We could only rotate three guys. I have to be smarter. I can’t afford to do that in games like that. I made a mistake, and the mistake cost us.”

Mistakes have been costing the Eagles this season and continued to do so Sunday. This group should feel fortunate to be heading to the bye week 3-3 instead of 2-4 or worse.

There is plenty of work to do before this team can think about taking on Atlanta in two weeks. And it starts with head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Morhinweg.

“I’ll take responsibility for it,” Reid said. “I just know it wasn’t good enough all the way around.

“There were times and places where everyone needs to look themselves in the mirror and get better ... me included.”

That time is now.

Vick is the starter for the duration. That became painfully obvious after he served up two meatball interceptions against the Lions to run his season mark to eight. (At least he kept his fumble total at five.)

But it’s not all the fault of Vick, who threw for 311 yards. He was pulverized in the first half by Ndamukong Suh and Co. Vick was hit 10 times and knocked down eight as the Eagles only mustered 139 net yards.

Feeling he wasn’t tenderized enough, the Lions knocked him down eight more times in the second half.

This is a big-play offense that depends on the vertical kill shot. Problem is, the offensive line leaks like a 20-year-old faucet, and Vick doesn’t have time to take a five-step drop and wait for his receivers to come open.

It’s time to institute a shorter passing game. When the Eagles did that in the third quarter and early in the fourth against the Lions, it purred like a finely tuned engine and led to 16 points on four of five drives.

Reid should have taken notes. The only thing that was missing in the second half was the knockout punch.

“We just need to do better and finish,” Celek said. “It was disgusting. It’s the worst feeling, to be honest with you.

“We let down as a team and just didn’t finish.”

Said McCoy, "Today, the Lions finished the game stronger than we did. I don't think we are a bad team. I think we are a good team. One loss is not going to define our season, so we will be here, practice and get better."

I heard that phrase a lot in the locker room. Reid, himself, said it seven times in his press conference.

But we've heard it all before. It's about time the Eagles actually follow through.Because if they don’t get it right soon, Reid and others could be looking for new jobs.